Breaking: Infiniti’s (Now) Ex-Chief Johan de Nysschen Will Run Cadillac

Infiniti’s (NSANY.PK) lead design chief Johan de Nysschen, a former executive at Audi, will reportedly be leaving the Japanese luxury marque in pursuit of greener pastures, Automotive News is reporting. He’s been the head of design at Nissan’s luxury arm for two years, and submitted his resignation earlier this week to the company that brought him from the German automaker to help turn around the struggling Infiniti.

De Nysschen cited personal reasons for leaving the company, but he has reportedly been in negotiations with General Motors (NYSE:GM), sources told Automotive News, and he may take up residence at Cadillac. Nissan Motor Corp. Executive Vice President Andy Palmer told the site on Friday that de Nysschen has found other employment, and that was confirmed by Phil LeBeau. General Motors had so far declined to comment on the matter at the time of this writing.

Cadillac, which despite mounting a rather successful turnaround in many ways, has been hemorrhaging executives in the process. The brand’s U.S. chief Bill Peffer left last month after less than a year in the postition, one that has seen unusually high rates of turnover of late. Peffer was the third Cadillac sales chief to leave in two years, and the latest in a string of departures brought about by the ignition switch debacle.

Palmer said de Nysschen “cited … a strong desire to go back to the United States for personal reasons,” and added that his home and family are still in the United States. Infiniti doesn’t have a candidate readily available to replace de Nysschen, but the company is looking at both internal and external possibilities, it said.